Prospect Talk PART VI

I'm not really debating Lee vs Nelson. My posts have been more along the lines of 'no roster spots are guaranteed to any prospects at this point, nor will they be until the completion of camp next year. To that point, my caution to the board was to simply not just assume Nelson makes the team over and/or in place of Lee.

As for me thinking aloud about a potential Lee-Tavares-Strome line? I was simply looking at player attributes and skill sets and trying to match them as best as possible according to our organizational depth chart. It wasn't an indictment on Nelson, as I said, I wasn't ranking talent.

Nelson is more comparable to Strome than he is Lee anyway. Lee is a power forward the other 2 are not. Nelson and Strome have very similar games and are both aprox 190 lbs. Nelson is just taller. Other than that they are pretty much the same player. Strome is more explosive and Nelson has outstanding reach/range. There are other subtle differences but they are very compatible. So much so that if Nelson can prove that he can anchor a productive 2nd line in the NHL then it makes sense to potentially try Strome on Tavares wing. And if that happens I want, no Demand a power forward on their line. Ergo Lee the best power foward in the organization.

Now you have my full rationale.

This is the very reasoning that the Islanders tried to sign him last spring. His skill set to control, protect and to finish with the puck is exactly what JT needs on his line and is heads and shoulders above the names thrown around. Lee has also scored the most goals in D-1 hockey over the last three years. Not bad for a 4th line grinder.

I'm not really debating Lee vs Nelson. My posts have been more along the lines of 'no roster spots are guaranteed to any prospects at this point, nor will they be until the completion of camp next year. To that point, my caution to the board was to simply not just assume Nelson makes the team over and/or in place of Lee.

As for me thinking aloud about a potential Lee-Tavares-Strome line? I was simply looking at player attributes and skill sets and trying to match them as best as possible according to our organizational depth chart. It wasn't an indictment on Nelson, as I said, I wasn't ranking talent.

Nelson is more comparable to Strome than he is Lee anyway. Lee is a power forward the other 2 are not. Nelson and Strome have very similar games and are both aprox 190 lbs. Nelson is just taller. Other than that they are pretty much the same player. Strome is more explosive and Nelson has outstanding reach/range. There are other subtle differences but they are very compatible. So much so that if Nelson can prove that he can anchor a productive 2nd line in the NHL then it makes sense to potentially try Strome on Tavares wing. And if that happens I want, no Demand a power forward on their line. Ergo Lee the best power foward in the organization.

Now you have my full rationale.

Lee is the best pure power forward in the organization, and one of the best, if not the best in the entire league.

Nelson's game is a little more heady and his skating is certainly ahead of Lee's. That's why I put Nelson ahead of Lee, and more likely to make the team first in a top-six role.

Could Lee come in a grab a third line wing spot? I sure hope so.

I think the Islanders have Nino earmarked for this first line power forward spot though...he's not as big, but can play big, create more off the rush, and has shown an equal or better ability to finish than Lee.

There's a reason Nino (and Nelson) consistently rank ahead of Lee in scout's polls. I'd also like to say Lee might be the best kept secret in the NHL (outside of Petrov).

This is the very reasoning that the Islanders tried to sign him last spring. His skill set to control, protect and to finish with the puck is exactly what JT needs on his line and is heads and shoulders above the names thrown around. Lee has also scored the most goals in D-1 hockey over the last three years. Not bad for a 4th line grinder.

Come on man... you can't be serious. Lee is "head and shoulders" above guys like Nelson, Strome and Niederreiter? I like Lee... I really do. But the 4th line talk has more to do with the state of our system than it does Lee's potential. He is not a better prospect than the three guys I mentioned, and when you factor in the guys who are already here(Tavares, Moulson, Bailey, Grabner, Okposo, Ullstrom) I just don't see anywhere he could possibly fit other than the bottom-six. More specifically, the 4th line.

BTW, not sure what the whole "this is the reason they tried to sign him last spring" means. They probably just wanted him getting AHL experience. Don't know how you could draw the conclusion that they wanted him on JT's wing. Look at Brock Nelson. He was signed last spring as well.

He may not, but looking at the Blues, they have a lot of young, skilled forwards already in the NHL (Oshie, Perron, Backes, Tarasenko, Stewart, Berglund, Schwarz). The Islanders may not give you as good of a chance to win, but there may be a better chance to play in the NHL next year. Justin Schultz chose the Oilers after 3 straight dead last finishes because of the combination of a good young core and an opportunity for immediate playing time. Lee might choose the Isles for the same reason, especially combined with the opportunity to burn off a year of his ELC.

We'll see...I just can't help but think that this environment is not highly attractive to a young player who will have the freedom to choose where he wants to play. Tavares is special and I suspect he saw this as a challenge and an opportunity to lead this hapless franchise out of a 30 year drought. I'm not sure Andres Lee will see it the same way.

Kabanov's an odd case in that he impressed me with his play at the Memorial Cup, but for almost completely opposite reasons than his original hype.

I didn't see the high end skill, the elite offensive ability, the hands that would produce top line numbers at the NHL level, that he was supposed to have based on his 16 year old hype. Instead, I liked his work ethic, his battle level along the boards, and his ability to make plays based on his board work.

same here. His stats were pretty terrible for a player with his hype and skillset, but after watching him play in those big games, against some really good teams, he showed elements to his game that I though he didn't have.

But he did NOT show elite skating, stick-handling, passing and his shot was well below average. And in the AHL, before he got hurt, he looked like one of the better players on the ice. He showed the same work ethic and board play, showed offensive vision - pretty impressive. But not dynamic or the next Zherdev or Bure.

I'm happy with his development thus far. If he finishes the year strong, has a strong start next year, I can see him getting a few games in the NHL.

same here. His stats were pretty terrible for a player with his hype and skillset, but after watching him play in those big games, against some really good teams, he showed elements to his game that I though he didn't have.

But he did NOT show elite skating, stick-handling, passing and his shot was well below average. And in the AHL, before he got hurt, he looked like one of the better players on the ice. He showed the same work ethic and board play, showed offensive vision - pretty impressive. But not dynamic or the next Zherdev or Bure.

I'm happy with his development thus far. If he finishes the year strong, has a strong start next year, I can see him getting a few games in the NHL.

I agree on all counts, except the stickhandle. His handle reminds me of a young Kovalev.

Ryan Strome is greatly benefitting from additional time in the OHL. Lately he has taken his game to a whole nother level, it's just unbelievable. There is no doubt in my mind he is the best OHL prospect remaining in the OHL.

Todays game kärpät vs ilves: Kärpät won 3-0. Ville Pokka gets no points. Icetime 20:05. He was on ice when kärpät makes 2-0 on powerplay. Little bland performance for both teams. Next game will be against Tappara on thursday.

Hey guys, for those of you who watch him play, how far away do you think Reinhart is? Not necessarily how fast he'll be on the Island cause we haven't always handled that correctly, but if developed properly, when do you guys project he'll be ready to crack an NHL lineup and be able to step in a top 4 role? Will he be able to play 1 more junior season and step in or do you guys think a year or two in Bridgeport should definitly be in his future?

Hey guys, for those of you who watch him play, how far away do you think Reinhart is? Not necessarily how fast he'll be on the Island cause we haven't always handled that correctly, but if developed properly, when do you guys project he'll be ready to crack an NHL lineup and be able to step in a top 4 role? Will he be able to play 1 more junior season and step in or do you guys think a year or two in Bridgeport should definitly be in his future?

He's good enough to play a top 4 role now based on his defensive play alone.

I would prefer he go back to juniors for another season and play 30 minutes a night with massive amounts of PP time to groom the offensive side of his game and have him gain confidence. As opposed to playing 5 on 5 and PK in NHL only and perhaps not enjoy as much success against NHLers.

ITM, your info is outstanding. Very much appreciated, many of us look forward to them!
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Strome is looking more mature and bigger, nice to see. I hope he makes the team next year, along with Niederreiter (unless he's traded for OReilly).

Also, as I said the other day, Strome is dialed in right now. By the end of this season his confidence is going to be sky high, right where it needs to be heading into the off-season. Hoping he gets a look at Bridgeport at the end of the year.